What a game! The San Francisco 49ers lose to the Seahawks Monday night in a hard-fought overtime game. When it was all said and done, a handful of key plays and players led to the outcome. Here’s a look at what went down at Levi Stadium.
San Francisco 49ers Lose as Jadeveon Clowney, Injuries Prove Disastrous
Just plain offensive!
The 49ers offense failed on a number of levels Monday night. Jimmy Garoppolo struggled to protect the football and looked skittish in the pocket towards the end of the game. Garoppolo fumbled twice and threw an interception as well. Not only that, but he threw multiple passes that either should have been intercepted or easily could have been. Garoppolo has had good pocket presence all year but seemed lost at times. He was sacked a season-high five times.
The sacks were particularly ugly because Seattle had previously done such a poor job sacking the quarterback this season. Coming into the game they were the fifth-worst team in the league in that category. That said, Jadeveon Clowney was a man among boys. He was in the backfield all night and dominated both Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey time and again. Clowney finished the game with five tackles, one sack, five quarterback hits, and a touchdown. He was dominant all night and was a much bigger factor than even his bloated stats would imply. He was in a word, unstoppable.
What also seemed a bit odd regarding the offense was the gameplan heading into the game. The 49ers have been running the ball well all season, and instead of keeping that going, they seemed way too pass-happy Monday night. Garoppolo threw it a season-high 47 times. The result was like pouring gasoline on a fire. Matt Breida led the team with ten carries but was bottled up for the most part. He left the game with an ankle injury and didn’t return. Tevin Coleman only had nine carries on the night despite rushing at 4.7 yards per touch.
What was really difficult to overcome were injuries to George Kittle and Emmanuel Sanders. The 49ers knew they’d be without Kittle. However, Sanders suffered a rib injury and everything changed when he left the game. With the two possesions Sanders was in the lineup the 49ers led 10-0 and in the thirteen after he left, the offense managed only two field goals. When your go-to option is rookie wideout Deebo Samuel you’re going to have some struggles. Samuel, for his part, did well, despite some big drops, finishing the game with 8 catches for 112 yards.
49ers Lose, But Defense Remains Elite
The 49ers defense kept the pressure coming this week, sacking Russell Wilson five times. That said, Wilson is a magician and escaped on numerous occasions and hurt the 49ers with his arm and his legs. He’s not just an MVP candidate, he’s the favorite. He simply rises to the occasion every single time. He did so without his top weapon for much of the game as Tyler Lockett left with a severe leg contusion. Lockett spent the evening in a Bay Area hospital.
DeForest Buckner had himself a game, putting up five tackles, two fumble recoveries, and a key fourth-quarter touchdown. Fred Warner was an unstoppable force as well. He was all over the field putting up ten tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss and breaking up plays everywhere. He has emerged as a leader on the defense and is a force game in and game out.
The San Francisco 49ers didn’t win Monday night, but they did show they can hang with top competition and if a couple of bounces had gone the other way, they leave that game with the win. Next week, the 49ers will play the Arizona Cardinals and will be looking to rebound and take out any lingering frustrations. Seattle enters their bye week after the big win Monday night.
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